Top-ranked Russian Daria Kasatkina fulfilled a childhood dream over the weekend, winning her homecountry VTB Kremlin Cup with a 2-6, 7-6(30, 6-4 win over Ons Jabeur to raise her first title on Russian soil.

With the result she moved into the Top 10 on the WTA rankings for the first time.

“It was a dream of mine since childhood, to win the Kremlin Cup in front of my crowd,” said last year’s finalist. “I’m so happy, I still can’t believe it. There were fans from Russia, from Tunisia, from everywhere — the atmosphere felt more like Fed Cup, but it was great. But it was amazing because this is what sport is about, the passion.”

Jabeur, a qualifier, is the first player from Tunisia to reach a WTA final.

“I’m very happy that I made it to the final,” Jabeur said. “It was very long, eight matches was kind of long for me coming from qualifying. But I wanted to win today. It wasn’t meant to be today. And maybe it’s a little bit lack of experience, but this is my first final so hopefully I can have many more and win some titles.”

Jabeur had only a set in her as she committed almost 40 unforced errors alone in the second set, and in the third was clearly feeling the physical demands of reaching the final as a qualifier.

Kasakina’s run put her in as the first alternate for the eight-woman WTA Finals field.

“It’s pretty special, my first time in Singapore,” she said. “I will enjoy it for sure, even if I don’t have the chance to play. I’ll still have a little bit of Singapore.”